PRAYER WORKS
“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. “Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy.” Jonah 2:7-8 NKJV
Jonah’s story is one many of us are familiar with. For the most part, we hear of Jonah’s disobedience, but very few talk about his sincere prayer that changed everything.
From the belly of the fish, far from land, light, and comfort, Jonah cries out to the Lord. His soul had fainted, his strength failed, and all illusion of control had dissolved. And yet, from that place of despair, his prayer reached heaven. That is the mystery and mercy of prayer: no matter how far we’ve run or how dark the pit, if our hearts turn to God in truth, He hears us.
Verse 8 adds a sobering layer: “Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy.” Jonah came to see that his rebellion was not just an action, but a form of idolatry, placing his judgment, preferences, and fears above the will of God. In doing so, he had forsaken the mercy freely offered to him.
Prayer is not powerful because of the words we say, but because of the One who hears. It is a lifeline, not a last resort. Jonah’s story reminds us that there is no place too deep, no failure too great, and no silence too long for God to intervene.
When we pray, especially from a humbled heart, heaven moves. Not because we deserved it, but because mercy is who God is. Hallelujah!
Prayer: My Father, thank You that when I cry out, You hear me. My heart is exercised to remember You not only in the deep but in the daily. Expose any idols I’ve clung to and teach me to trust You fully. Let my prayer be shaped by dependence and my life by Your mercy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Psalm 34: 17
• Jeremiah 33:3
• Romans 8:2
